Learn How to Create the Perfect Portfolio for Admission to Design School

A well-crafted Portfolio would help bring to the fore your creativity and showcase your keen eye for design, the perfect recipe that design schools want.

How to create a powerful portfolio for admission to Design School - If you are seeking admission to a top design school like the NIDs, Symbiosis Institute of Design (SID), NMIMS's School of Design, or ARCH College of Design & Business, be ready with a strong portfolio. It is because these institutes have, what is called, a Portfolio Review component, as a vital part of their admission criteria. The portfolio kind of allows the jury to get intimate with you, understand your thought process, creative skills, and ultimately judge whether you will be a good fit for the institute. So, you can't keep the portfolio on the back burner, hoping that your performance in the written exam will do the trick. Yes, the written exam is a key component of the admission process, but you need the portfolio to back it up. Given how important the portfolio is, here we bring you some useful tips that you can adopt to make your portfolio stand out.

What is a Portfolio?

A portfolio is a brief synopsis or collection of your best works. It is a reflection of your ability, commitment, creativity, and passion in your chosen field. The portfolio will therefore enable the people doing the interview to judge your competence and skill set. 

Remember that the portfolio is a representation of a range of work, and could be a good way to tell your story of growth, maturity, depth, and vision. 

How to create an impactful portfolio?

Here are some useful tips that you can implement to create a good portfolio:

Step 1: Showcase your BEST works

The idea behind the portfolio is to project your best works in front of the interview panel. The works must reflect your interests, creativity, understanding of the fundamentals of design, and aspirations. 

To be able to choose your best works, you must study each work in minute detail and try to eke out their strengths as well as weaknesses. Remember, the person doing the interview may ask any questions related to the work and you must be in a position to give a reasonable and succinct answer. Also, if you are not sure about a particular work, but still include the piece in your portfolio, you might get stumped. 

Step 2:Sell quality, not quantity

In the rush to impress the panelist, don’t go overboard and overstuff the portfolio with random work. Rather keep items to a reasonable minimum. After all, it is not the quantity of work you have done, but the quality of work that will count. Experts suggest keeping the Portfolio within the 10-15 pages range. This way you will be able to pay attention to all the items, take mental notes, and prepare for probable questions related to each of these items. 

Make sure that the items in the portfolio:

• Are your best works
• Include images that reflect your interests
• Showcases your grip on various color combinations, themes, and designs
• Shows that you are adept at using various tools, media, and design styles.

Step 3: Delight the jury with a sparkling presentation 

Design, among other things, is also about presentation. So, you are expected to possess this skill set in good measure. And what better way to showcase your presentation skills than using the portfolio?

Here are a few things you can do to make your portfolio stand out:

1. Use labels - The project must have a proper introduction (one-liners, basically). Be careful not to write long intros explaining the project, as the project is expected to do that work itself!
2. To showcase your technical and creative ability, see to it that the compilation is crisp, reasonable, and unique. Every item included in the project must make a case for itself and shouldn't be there just to increase the number or volume. 
3. The layout should be clean and tidy.

Step 4: Models/ Prototypes

If you are good at making modes, the general consensus is that you must make one and take it to the interview. The model will make it easier for the interview panelists to understand and judge your thought process, skill set, and creative ability. Some models can even be made using clay, paper, and foam.

Step 5: Printed or web-based portfolio

Web-based portfolios are a recent trend that is catching up gradually. But one argument against depending on a web-based portfolio is that the interview center might not have dependable Internet connectivity. And if it is the case, you won’t be able to showcase your portfolio.

So, to be on the safer side, it can be argued that a hardcopy or printed portfolio is a better and safer option. 

In some cases, the candidate may want to carry their profiles on a laptop. In this scenario, the student needs to make sure that the portfolio is simple, easy to understand, and not over the top. 

In some circles, it is also believed that if you include a sketchbook depicting your ideas and creativity, it can add value to your portfolio. So, there is no harm in trying this strategy out. Use A4 or A3 size paper for the sketch. 

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How to organize the portfolio?

1. Size of the portfolio - There is no specific size limit for the portfolio, and it can be of any size depending on the work you have shortlisted. That being said, make it too bulky and you will have a difficult time carrying it around. 
2. Number of works - Again, there is no upper limit. Just make sure that you select the best works while leaving out the less impressive ones. You may also select different projects and 2-3 sketchbooks. 
3. Large pieces of work – 3D objects or large paintings – In such cases, you can take a photograph and present it in your portfolio. When you are called for an interview, you can bring with you 1-2 physical examples, provided they are small, light, or difficult to photograph.
4. The items in the portfolio should be simple and irregular, but relevant. For impact, you may load the work on sheets of the same size as white paper.
5. Note that your work needs breathing space. So, if you have a number of prints that all look similar, you should select only the best 2 or 3 out of them.
6. Position your work logically and try to present your work so that everything is facing the same way up.
7. Start strong, end strong - You must include your best works at the beginning and at the end. This way, your portfolio will have a lasting impact. 
8. Variety is the spice of life, so make it a part of your portfolio.
9. The admission committee may ask you to explain the work included in the portfolio. So, include work in the portfolio you are comfortable speaking and discussing at length.